Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-03-12
Written Tor TIE EVENING STAR
GODMOTHER POMONA.
BY SOPHIE SWEET.


de31Iv-e.- Saws XII eruptying her purse into her
lap-a shabby little purse whose chronic leannesS
seems e-Lually TO have shrunksn It. just as con-
sant rIIlneSs pyffs one out XII looks really anx-
iO,Is a. have never seen her look before, the
yerv faint line between her brows has deepened to
afrown. What shall we do IL biz spirits are go
Ing to fail? We have dtped of them on many a
dreary day: my winter cloak has been made OF
them: il the tradesmen with whom we deal could
have regarded them in the same light that i did
we might even have paid our bills with them; but
alas. filthy lurre and nothing else will satisfy
those gross souls
ali had stepped my soul In perjury and made
MIS- Sctuetop's ugly child seraph might now
he on the high road TO fame and fortune" says
kI, gloomily.
'it WAS astonishing likeness. was afraid 1t
wOuldn'5 SUIT sly !, canddiy-
hi stTDLS point III painting portraits IS fidelity
I'd nature; AM we nave learned that fidelity TO
nature has 1jo draw backs What, - what have
We NOS learned In this year OF city experience?
whereas we talked. grandiy, when We lelt Poppie-
speak. nOdeSily. of 'sfacuty" and ssbnark" We
have exchanged rosy dreams Of fame and fortune
70 BE- won al = bound Tor the painful knowledge
that "nelghts steep"
We Spu-ned the narrow sphere and the small
but safe SALARIES that PuppietOn academy offered,
and came, unEerailrd and unknown, 10 the great
city, 20 set gu: ieet That halted 10 run against
the swift simply because we Were ignorant. II
We had known we should not have yentured- And
yet In all the troubles through which We have
come do not think we have repented. kK may
be re9entins aow. The >etJIet0p babys portrait
was a success. kz had Just put her best effort
into it, and the baby's mamma had refused 10 take
or pay for IL. And that Is not the worst. Mrs.
SettletOp is leader OF fashionable SOciety,x and
her patronage would have been OF the greatest
benefit To hiZ- And kH boots unGeni8biy
shabby; ft taxes great fortitude OF soul 10 resist
the depressing influence OF shabby boots. kiz is
mourning for Perry know it, although she will
not acknowledge IT. Perry was XIII had al
most written Our-l0ver- klz and / have almost
everything III common, and l was proud that
among our few possessions We could number
lover; we were otherwise so lonely and forlorn
XII might have innuInerable lovers, one would
think, 10 look III her, she Is 50 pretty IN GTeuZe
shepherdess style, with dimpeS and pOutS, and
general DeW1tchlngneSS; but she wanted no other
than Perry. Indeed before she saw him she had
declared her firm determination never to ''give
her mind" TO lovers: there was mo room for such
things IN a life devoted TO art IL took Perry
just one week, a summer week IN POppletOn, with
tw1lightS and moOnlightS and long afternoon
rows on the river 10 put that idea out OF kZ'
head
II was not Perrys beauty that did it; he Is a big,
ungatnly Fellow, with hair that one could warm
ones hands by, and about three times as muCh
hose as there h any occasion for. But he isstrong
and manly, and true TO the hearts core, and am
yeXed with kiZ that she has quarreled with him.
The quarrel began by her refusing 10 marry him,
onhand, as he wished; she would not be a burden
I'd him In his poverty" she SAID. and then ne took
IL into his head 70 be abSuTdly jealous OF owlish
old professor, who was devoted 10 biz In q grand
Ltheriy sort OF way, and being hot-headed and
unreasonable young people they parted with mu-
t1al reprOa ches. When we left PoppletOn, kiz
took care that he should have no clue 10 our
he Is out ca the piainS skeJching indianS-he
means 10 DE famous; but at present he cOnde
scends 10 occupy the position Of special artist for
an Illustrated paper. and k1Z, / know, thinks OF
him by day and dreams OF him by night, and has
an inward conviction that Indians have a special
predlle;tiOIi Tor artists ScalpS- But she bears up
brayely.
The financial situation is somewhat alarming
MY purse is almost as lean as kiz, and our land
lord has SSnt US several little reminders that the
months rCDi is overdue.
Fidelity 10 nature is not the rock upon which
hn ET0lrf Nv
and morning glorieS have been cOInplimented as
having sentiment" and as being above all, orig
ina one young woman candidly remarked that
she "neger saw any flowers In the least ike them.'
hR assures me that the remark was intended TO be
complimentary and referred only 10 my originality
OF style. klz cheerful way Oh looking AT Things Is
great comfort
But originality does not seem to be as salable
commodity as one could wish ana we have clearly
demonstrated TIE tmpracticabiity OF Subsisting
Oh compliments
By dlnt OF long searching and sore humiliation
mai ootiseneSS; but they have revived my droOp-
Ing spirits In some degree, and am now at work
upon some red and White clover which looks u
deniaby Ike clover try 10 encourage kiz by
reminding her that there are Seraphic babies
whose mothers could not De disguised by fidelity
20 nature, and that a kind Providence may send
them IL her way Buo' hiZ talks, desperately, OF
colorins photographs or painting signboards.
Never have seen hiZ IN such mood as this, and
the feelings thai l cherish towards the innocent
Settletop piby are little short OF murderous
There comes rap Ut the door.
zone OF the landlords little reminders says KiZ
had said that, before this mood came upon her,
she would have shuboed NE, mercilessly, anu said
IL Was probably a customer eager To pay fabulous
price IGr HlJ least promising picture kz spirits
are falling.
1t is tie landlords bill 1t is a little old lady.
gayy and gir.1sEy attired- She wears a blue sill,
dress tT1nil With many little ruffieS under her
short black velvet jacket, and blue bonnet laden
Win HowtrS Is set jaGAtlly upon her head Around
her little baked apple Of face prUiusiOn OF
auburn rlngiets hutIer cOIuettishiy.
ara" Il long breath OF relief. Anything is bet
10 NE like g promising customer, and DO not
leave nay ciOyer- klZ, however, has d penchant
Tor old la,Eea- she Was brought up by her grand
mother, aAd sees a likeness TO her that brings
tears To her eyes in hail the old ladies she meets
She energies iroIl her gloom To beam bewitchingly
Upon tbs one She viii D. very likely 10 waste
hail the morning upon her. klZ tender heart Will
BE- her rliin- mediate within my practical sell.
Are yoC the young lady VINO paints portraits?D
asks the Oid lady.
y have painted a few" says Kiz, modestly. Kiz
Is entirely too Ii DIES, Tor business
"ArS- Settletop told Inc about you" continued
the Old lady.
kh LOOKS fairly aghast. and I feel disheartene,
Is all her future c3reer 10 be haunted by the spec
ter Of the settleIO3 DdDvy
"Ars- settletop Is i loo! continued the Old lady.
Calmly Il have been Killed with Tools That is
Why have cut aGi1it from ali my relatives and
i've alone Mrs SesJietOp says you can't paint
portraits, and that is WY have come 10 You to
have ml;e DONE
kh i iooning pieased-radiant: but acknow.-
edge that l JreiAbe- What, % what viii be the re-
sui OF nde1ty 10 nature IL this ease:
Il wish 10 oe painted III character" pursues KIz'
patron
hat can she meaDe ] wonder one OF Mac
bejhs witches i the only character which occurs
10 me- a. suited TO her AS a goddess she con-
tinUe>, "FiUra, or perhaps Pomona Pomona suit,
my style. especially. ~ent 10 4 fancy ball dressed
as POMONA, iaSt winter, and attracted great atten-
tICn."
can well believe il, steal a sly glance at
k1Z- Si' Is beginning 10 look slightly troubled |
know tn.t vision or this ancient. Witch-lke hit Ie
person 10 the grD OF Pomona Is fitting before her
eyes VIII siie steep her soul III perjury she
lOOhS DOWN at her boots. We have an our keeDIy
Vulnerable point for misfortune TO strike at: kk'
L her boots II her boots instead or being shabby
had been new and wtll-nttln.s who can tell how
lrln mo might have Issued from her lips how
different her lie might have been,
You catch my iGce:" says the little old lady,
"Abd you Jh:na you can do Justice 10 it"-'
IEe pcStInan cone Just then, and hands me the
lan1io-tiS eH pectCt nOttce-ts If the boots We're
not enough. AZ recognizes the writing, she casts
de5paIring glance IL u and then AZ me TRY TO
HOOK persuasive. think kiZ is 0yer-ScrupuiouS
But she draws herself up 10 her IuIl height and
LOOKS proud and determined. kiZ' lofty virtue Is
lot going 70 quail before the shabby boots or the
landlord ; bill.
Il aln afraid cannot do IT," she SAYS. 81 have
never painted IA character portrait / give
uttfrdnce 10 little dc5pairing cough that ends
Win sigh but perhaps You would not expect
II 10 De, strictly speaking. 4 portriiI2-
kH gets the wOTtIs our Win difficulty The Old
lazy igCAs at her steadily, with par OF keen
nIIie, BLACK eyes
Il don't want my wrinkles accumulated IL THAT'S
what YOU mean. she says. II don't want 10 look
Ike the goddess Pomona az Seyenfy-tiXl, t:od
that's Why choose 10 he painted as a Goddess
You can afgpuiuIfp Nn..hfr,I .b.,Y,.,